A lot of parenting books can come off as “judgy” or “preachy”. Or, alternatively, they can overwhelm you with all the advise, suggestions and recommendations in them. You may finish them thinking that you’ll never ever be able to accomplish this thing called “parenting” successfully.

Certainly, in the public, well-meaning friends, colleagues, family and heck, random strangers, feel comfortable interjecting their opinion on your parenting skills and decisions.

“You’re Doing a Great Job! 100 Ways You’re Winning at Parenting” by Biz Ellis and Theresa Thorn is that inspirational and motivational, “don’t take yourself too seriously” book you read to decompress and realize that you rock! It’s about celebrating the tiny wins.

Within the 156 pages of this hardback coffee table gift style book, you’ll find colorful pages and over 100, pretty short entries about how awesome you are given the task at hand and the fact that you haven’t and most likely won’t cause too much harm on your kiddies.

I read the book from cover to cover while vacationing with my family this Summer and literally chuckled out loud at a few relatable and humorous quips. Like “You went out for milk…and came back afterwards. You could have used the opportunity to run away and start a new life! But you didn’t! You came back. Good job! Enjoy your milk!”

The authors, who have a very popular podcast “One Bad Mother“, did an excellent job setting the bar so low that you cannot help but smile at all the winning you’re doing as a parent every day! Yay for us!

It even covers unconventional topics many other books miss; single parenting, partnered parents and commune parents. Yeah, they still exist, I think. ha!

I would highly recommend this book not just for an expectant parent or a new one but for any parent at any stage who maybe has been beating herself or himself up about something that is likely out of their control.

It’s a quick and worthwhile read and one you can pass along to a friend in need.

Get this book at Amazon for just $10.86! Yeah can’t beat that price for a hard back book!

photo: Courtesy LA Parent by IBARIONEX PERELLO